BridgeTools aids FibreBridge management

2 BridgeTools aids FibreBridge management

ATTO BridgeToolsTM is a Java-based configuration utility designed to flash firmware and manage the configuration of your ATTO FibreBridge.

Fibre Channel is a serial communications technology designed to transfer large amounts of data between a variety of hardware systems over long distances. It is a key technology for applications that require shared, high bandwidth access to storage.

Fibre Channel provides a logical point-to point serial channel for the transfer of data between a buffer at a source device and a buffer at a destination device. It moves buffer contents from one port to another, without regard to the format or meaning of the data so different upper level protocols are able to run over Fibre Channel hardware.

The Fibre Channel architecture is structured as a hierarchical set of protocol layers. Defined within these layers are rules for signal interfaces, serial encoding and decoding, error control, frame format and communications protocols.

All ATTO FibreBridge models can be used in a SAN (Storage Area Network) to connect a variety of Fibre Channel and SCSI devices to meet your needs.

A SAN is a shared storage architecture connecting computers and storage devices for online data access. Each connected system can directly access any attached storage device. Storage devices could include RAID, tape backup, tape library, CD-ROM library or JBOD.

ATTO FibreBridge models provide the interface between SCSI and Fibre Channel resources in SANs. Possible configurations depend upon your current hardware and what you need to do.

The FibreBridge allows parallel SCSI devices to participate in a Fibre Channel arbitrated loop or on a fabric. Fibre Channel and SCSI configurations address devices differently, and the FibreBridge translates between these addressing models.

The simplest way to communicate with the ATTO FibreBridge is to use ATTO BridgeTools, a Java- based graphical interface configuration utility designed to flash firmware and manage the configuration for all models of the FibreBridge.

BridgeTools detects which FibreBridge model is available and presents you with the applicable configuration options.

At the startup, a wizard-type interface will ask you how you want to communicate with the ATTO FibreBridge. You can choose between an in-band connection direct over the Fibre Channel link, an RS-232 port or an Ethernet port.

A tabbed panel interface presents configuration parameters in a simple, one-window display. Message boxes, icons, drop-down boxes, menu bars and other common graphical constructs will lead you through the configuration process.

Refer to the ATTO FibreBridge Installation and Operation Manual for more information about other methods to manage your FibreBridge.

3 ATTO Technology BridgeTools Installation and Operation Manual